Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Day of Validation

Today my sometimes popular wife emerged from the common rabble of PhD students to become a certified PhD candidate.  Though it may sound like mincing words, the line between the two groups is clearly demarcated by a rigorous and gut-wrenching set of exams called the prelims.  The dreaded 24-hour preliminary exams are known for their unforgiving cruelty and their ability to turn even the most confident intellectual into a quivering, whimpering, huddled mass.  Those who pass are free to begin work on their doctoral thesis.  Those who fail are duly punished.

McBone salutes my wife for having earned the decisive (if rather unenthusiastic) grade of 'Pass.'

Her path to greatness will be littered with many artifacts, and this nondescript piece of paper will be coveted by her most ardent and deep-pocketed of ebay savvy fans (as a bonus, the page comes with an authentic P. Ryan Schneider signature).

Later in the day I accepted a FedEx package from a surly delivery guy who spent a pleasant two-minute exchange bitching about his extended workday, part of which included my shipment of this book:

Jam-packed with a year and a half's worth of blood, sweat, tears, elbow grease, gumption and barf, this 400-page text is the satisfying culmination of my wine education.  A special thanks goes to Christian Butzke for trusting an unknown writer to corral his lecture series into book form.  For a song ($108.95 plus tax and shipping, while supplies last), you can have your very own copy of Wine Appreciation.

nwb

10 comments:

Steven Lincoln said...

Congratulations to you both. It's been a good week for McBone, eh?

nikki said...

Double congrats! You are both utterly amazing...

SeMm said...

As the husband of a Ph.D candidate, I salute you both. I remember the prelim days. It was kind of like that scene in Platoon when Charlie Sheen falls to his knees in the marsh. And now we are in the final push for the Ph.D itself. I hear Flight of the Valkyries all around me. It's tough but worth it. Congrats to you both.

Anonymous said...

Congats to you both!
If your wine book is going for $109 then I have some of your early original works in my basement that will be posted on ebay tonight.

MPF

Anonymous said...

I smell royalties....congrats!
JSF

BillBow Baggins said...

Thanks Steve! You're in the acknowledgments, btw.

Jeff, no royalties. That smell you are smelling must be something else. Maybe fish?

Thanks to all!

Darin said...

Big congrats to both of you!

Lisa C said...

Nate, I love the book cover!
I might just have to get that for Dave for his bday.

BillBow Baggins said...

Thanks Lisa! That photo was taken by Christian at Chateau Margaux. The only complaint I have with the cover is the word "Appreciation." Nigh unreadable.

nwb

Lisa C said...

You are right. It's hard to read appreciation. Well, the most important word is easy to see...mmmm wine